More stringent NOx emission requirements for combustion engines or processes may require catalytic NOx abatement technologies that are effective under various conditions. For example, catalytic NOx abatement technologies in order to meet higher government standards will need to be effective under lean burning conditions. Direct NOx decomposition to environmentally friendly components such as nitrogen and oxygen may be an alternative to current NOx traps and selective catalytic reduction currently used in the prior art. The use of an effective catalyst for direct NOx decomposition may eliminate the use of reducing agents and other complicated mechanisms to simplify the NOx removal process and decrease a cost for NOx abatement from the exhaust of various combustion processes.
Typical prior art catalysts require high operating temperatures such as greater than 700° C. to be effective for catalytic NOx abatement. There is therefore a need in the art for a catalyst that operates over a wide temperature range such as below 700° C. and may be utilized for direct NOx decomposition. There is a further need in the art for a catalyst that may be utilized for NOx abatement without any additional secondary reagents. There is also a need in the art for a catalyst that is effective to decompose NOx in a temperature range of emission gas from a gas or diesel engine.